Apparatus for transferring cans



May 2, 1933. J, M. SEAMAN 1,907,189

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CANS Filed March 16, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l M33' 2, 1933. J. M. sEAMAN 1,907,189

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CANS Filed March 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 2, 1933.. J. M. SEAMAN 1,907,189

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CANS Filed March 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 me/nto@ May 2,- 1933. J. M. SEA/MAN APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING CANS Filed March 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I lrolddw ll- @mento/v l j-h Sea/777 uw;

Patented May 2, 1933 UNITED srAas JOHN M. snAMAN, on MoUNfr VERNON, WASHING-TON, AssieNoR` 'ro BoznrrAN cAN NING COMPANY, oF BozEMAN, .MQNTANA A conronArioN or MONTANA i APPARATS FOR TRANSFERRING CANSV Application filed March 16, 1931. Serial No. 523,089.

My invention relates to apparatus for transferring cans and has for its object to provide an apparatus adapted to receive a tray of filled cans in upright position as they come from the processing apparatus, and to invert the tray so that the tray may be lifted oil' and the cans may be fed forward as individual cans to means for turning them from upright to horizontal position to be deposited in a chute by which they may bel fed to a casing machine to be packed in cartons or boxes.

It is usual in processing lled cans to assemble them in upright position in a tray or basket and to pass them through the processing apparatus so assembled in the tray, and it is usual in packing or casing the cans to present them as individual cans to the casing machine. It is therefore necessary to get the cans out of the tray before they reach the casing machine. To do this by hand would be slow and expensive if the cans were cool and as the cans coming from the processing apparatus are necessarily quite highly heated their removal from the trays is particularly slow and expensive.

It is the object of my invention toprovide means by which the trays of cans, without waiting for them to cool and without handling of individual cans may be inverted so that the tray may be lifted olf without disturbing` the assembled cans and the assembled cans may be moved together to be turned on their sides in position to be received by a casing machine. It is a further object of my invention to provide means for transferring cans which will be simple,in expensive and efficient.

With the objects aboveindicated and other objects hereinafter explained in view, my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed. Referring to the drawings :y Figure 1 isa side View of the device for transferring cans embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view on a plane midway between the rims of the rotatableV cage showing the tray supporting frames in vertical position.

shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 isa side View of the live roller section of the transfer table [showing-.the operating means for the rollers.

Figure 5 is an end view showing the chut at the end of the second section ofthe transfer table, and Figure 6 is a detail sectional View showing the belt for operating the rollers of the sec'- ond section of the transfer table. v In the drawings 1 indicates a receiving table, 2 indicates'the dead roller section ofa transferl table, 3 indicatesthelive roller section of the transfer tabler and l indicates a delivery chute at the delivery end of the live roller section of the transfer table. The receiving table and the two sections of the transfer table are supported at the same horizontal level by a framework consisting of suitable legs and braces.-

Between the receiving table 1V and the transfer table 2 is arranged a rotatable cage 5 comprising circular rims 6 and 7 connect'- ed together by rods 8. The rims 6 and 7 are supported on pairs of rollers 9 and 10 which permit the cage to rotate freely* and these supporting rollers are so located that the axis onl which the cage rotates is above the horizontal plane of tables l and 2 byv a distance slightly more than one-half the height of the cans which are to Vbe transferred. l

Between rims 6 and 7 is arrangeda pair of frames l1 and 12 carried by'pairs of brace rods 13 and 14., These vframes are spaced apart a distance slightlyrgreater than the height of the cans to be transferred and are arranged in planes equally distant fromthe axis on which the cagerotates and each frame carries a series of rollers 15 extending Figure 3 is a side view of the construction Vat right angles to the axis'of the cageiand so mounted as to Vbe freely rotatable.

The receiving table l andthe first section 2 of thetransfer table are provided 1respectively with a series of rollers 16 and 17 so journalled in the side bars of these tables asto be freely rotatable and may-be termed l dead rollers to distinguishthem from the 100 driven rollers of the second section 3 of the transfer table.

In the side bars of this second section 3 of the transfer table are journalled a series of rollers 18 and these, which may be termed live rollers are arranged to be rotated by an endless belt 19 carried .by fixed roller 2O and adjustably mounted roller 21, this roller` 21 being arranged to Vbe rotated by belt 22 from a pulley 23 on a shaft 24 suitably mounted in the supporting frame of the transfer table, a pulley 25 on shaft 24 being driven by belt 26 from a pulley 27 on the shaft of a motor 28.

Across the delivery end of section 3 of the transfer table is-arranged an inclined chute 29 supported on brackets 30. This chute, is arranged to be reciprocated by. a pitman 31 pivotally connected at one end to the under face of the Ychute and, at its other end, carried by a crank pin 32 on a shaft 33 on which is mounted a pulley 34 driven by belt 35 from a pulley on shaft 24 which is driven by ymotor 27. A t its higher end this chute is provided with upwardly extending curved rods36 adapted to prevent cans from rolling offV the higher end ofthe chute. To the outer edge of the chute is secured a deiector plate 37 extending upward and towards the transfer table. To the edge of the delivery end of the transfer table is secured a deflector plate 38 extending outward and downward curved to correspond with the curve of deflector plate 37, the deflector plates 37 and 38 are so arranged that as the cans in the movement caused by the live roller 18 of the transfer table reach the delivery edge of the transfer table their contact with these deflector plates will cause them to assume a horizontal or rolling position on the bottom of the chute.

The cams 410 previously filled and vprocessed are delivered from the processing apparatus into trays 41, these trays consisting of flat metal baskets lin which the cans stand upright. One of these trays is placed on receiving table 1 resting on rollers 16. The rotatable cage is then rotated so as to bring one of its frames 11 or 12 into horizontal alignment with the surface of receiving table 1. The tray is then pushed into the space between frame 11 and 12 and rests on f one of the frames, say on frame 11. The cage is then rot-ated about half a rotation so as to bring frame 12 -in horizontal alignment with thesurface of the first section 2 of the transfer table.- This, of course, re-

verses the trayV and cans, .leaving the tray resting upon them. yThe tray and cans are then pushed out on to this firstr section of the transfer table and the tray is lifted off leaving the cans standing upright on the dead rollers of the first section 2. The cans are then pushed onto the live rollers of the second section 3 of the transfer table and are moved forward by the live rollers and eventually reach the edge of the table and fall over into chute 29, their contact with deflector plate 37 causing them to fall on their sides onto the tray so that they will roll down the chute, their progress being accelerated by the movement of the chute.

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim is: e ,e A

1. In a deviceV for transferring cans a receiving table adapted to receive a tray of cans, a transfer table having its top in the same horizontal plane with the top of the receiving table, and a cage rotatable on an axis inline with the receiving and transfer tables arranged between the receivingtable and the transfer table comprising a pair of frames each adapted to suport a tray of cans extending across the cage parallel withV its axis and respectively one above and the other below the axis spaced apart a distance slightly greater` than the height of a can so as to form a passage for the tray extending axially of Vthe cage, and means Vfor so supporting the cage that said frames will upon rotation of the cage be brought' successively into the horizontal plane of the tables.V

2. In a device for transferring cans a receiving table adapted to receive la tray of cans, a transfer table having itstop in the same horizontal plane with the top/of thc receiving table, and a Vcage rotatable on an axis in line with the receiving and transfer tables arranged between the receiving table and the transfer table comprising a pair of. frames each adapted to support a tray of cans extending across the cage parallel with its axis and respectively oneabove l and the otherbelow the axis spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of a can so as to form a passage for the tray extending axially of the cage, rollers carried by said framesand means for so supporting the cage that said frames will upon rotation of the cage be brought successively into the horizontal plane` of the tables. ,f

3. In a device for transferring cans, areceiving table adapted to receive a tray of f cans, a transfer table having its top in the same horizontalplane with the top ofthe receiving table, and va cage rotatable on an axis in line with the receiving and transfer tables arranged between the receiving table A and the transfer table comprising a pair of frames each adapted to support a tray `of cans extending across the cage parallel with its axis and Yrespectively. one above and the other below the axis spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of av can so as to forma passage'for the-tray extending axially of the cage and means for so supporting the cage that said frames will. upon rotation of the cagebe brought'successively into the horizontal plane of the tables, nieans carried by the transfer table for advancing the cans and a chute at the delivery end of the transfer table adapted to receive the cans. Y

el. In a device for transferring cans a receiving table adapted to receive a tray of cans, a transfer table having its top in the saine horizontal plane with the top of the receiving table, and a cage rotatable on an axis in line with the receiving and transfer tables arranged between the receiving table and the transfer table comprising a pair of frames each adapted to support a tray of cans extending across the cage parallel with its axis and respectively one above and the other below the plane spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of a can so as to forni a passage for the tray extending axially of the cage and means for so supporting the cage that said frames will upon rotation of the cage be brought successively into the horizontal plane of the tables, means carried by the transfer table for advancing the cans and a chute at the delivery end of the transfer table adapted to receive the cans, and means by the chute for causing the cans to be so turned that Vtheir axis will be horizontal.

5. In a device for transferring cans a receiving table adapted to receive a tray of cans, a transfer table having its top in the same horizontal plane with the top of the receiving table, the transfertable comprising a section provided with freely rotatable rollers and a second section provided with driven rollers and a cage rotatable on an axis at right angles to the axis of the rollers of the transfer table arranged between the receiving table and the transfer table comprising a pair of frames each adapted to support a tray of cans extending across the cage parallel with its axis and respectively one above and the other below; the axis spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of a can so as to form a passage for the tray extending axially of the cage and means for so supporting the cage that said frames will upon rotation of the cage be brought successively into the horizontal plane of the tops of the tables.

6. In a device for transferring cans a receiving table adapted to receive a tray of cans, a transfer table having its top in the same horizontal plane with the top of the receiving table, and a cage rotatable on an axis in line with the receiving and transfer tables arranged between the receiving table and the transfer ltable comprising a pair of frames each adapted to support a tray of cans extending across the cage parallel with its axis and respectively one above and the other below the axis spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the height of a can so as to form a passage forv the tray my signature.

JOHN M. SEAMAN. 

